Welcome to Arizona Billiard Academy ( ABA )   

 

 

            

            New to the website is a section for "Student Testimonials". I have posted a few comments from my students and I am working on posting more. Please check back

            Another improvement the ABA has made is the option of complete private lessons. The lesson is conducted on a pristine 4 ½ x 9 Diamond pool table. The ABA video camera is mounted on the wall. The video analysis occurs on a 60-inch LCD flat panel TV mounted on the wall. Student feed back has indicated the most rewarding part of the lesson is the complete privacy. Students feel they can ask more questions and feel they are in a more relaxed atmosphere. I have some students that do not want their competition to know they are working on their pool games.

           This website has been up for nearly a year now and I thought it was time to have it updated. Some of the biggest changes that have occurred in my personal life and pool world, over the last year, include transferring with the State of Arizona back to Tucson, playing some of the biggest tournaments Arizona has to offer and the project of adding a billiard-training studio into my home.

         My family and I have taken a huge step in remodeling the family home to allow for a billiard-training studio that includes a 4.5 X 9 Diamond pool table. This studio allows me to enhance and maintain my pool skills. Honing my pool skills help me transfer new ideas into my lesson plans. In addition, the training studio allows professional pool player to stay at my home and further my billiard knowledge, which then also transfers to you the client.  Update: We are done with the remodel. The Diamond is ready the video cameras are hung with care. I now offer completely PRIVATE one on one lesson. If you do not want to take a lesson inside of a pool hall or bar with everyone watching and listening to your questions the ABA is the place for you. Please call for appointments and pricing. 

 

          In a few months, I will achieve the next level in the Billiard Congress of America (BCA) system. This is only part of my ongoing billiard training to provide the best lessons possible to my students. Update: I have completed all the training to become a certified BCA instructor.

          Over the last few years, I have seen the hourly rates charged by instructors increase in the billiard-training world. My rate structure has changed over the years and I have found a simple hourly rate works the best. Update: New hourly rates for a completely PRIVATE billiard lesson experience

My current hourly rates for inside Tucson City Limits are $35.00 an hour with a $10.00 an hour discount for all league members APA, TAP, BCA, etc. Please call for rates outside of Tucson city limits. Update: New hourly rates for a completely PRIVATE billiard lesson experience

The student and teacher relationship is very important to me personally. I have taken many of hours of lessons and let me share some of the problems I have encountered over the years.

 

  • Instructors not starting at my current skill level - I felt I had to pay for the information in all the lessons just to receive what I needed.

 

  • Instructors that do not play any high level competition - it was always hard for me to believe someone that has never been under the “BIG” pressure.

     
  • Being told there is only one way to do something
  • Low rated handicapped instructors
  • Being told you have to practice 8 hours a day and if you do not improve, it is not their fault, you did not practice enough.

     

Here are some of the ways I try to help not make those same mistakes when I teach.

I “test” my student in the first half an hour of the lesson to see their current level. I go forward from there.
The students playing ability dictates what level the training relationship will begin.

 

I personally play at a high level of competition with large entree fees and highly skilled opponents (Semi-Pro). This has helped my game develop in the “pressure spots”. There are tricks I have learned to help deal with the pressure. I pass these tricks on to my students.

 

If you take a lesson from me, you will find that I believe no two people are built the same.

For example, I have a student whose arm was wounded in the war. He is never going to “stroke” like the book shows. That does not mean he cannot play great pool.

I will have you practice but I will not take the fun out of the game.

My current handicaps in their respective formats:

Inside of AZ, Ranking Skill Level - 9

APA, TAP – Ranking Skill Level - 7

STUDENT TESTIMONIALS as of 3-27-08

Student Name 

Marlene Nickerson (Tucson)

Did Carl Stewart a BCA Certified Instructor:

Know the material?

Yes

Tech you in a way you could understand?

Yes

Answer questions well?

Yes

Have printed material? 

Yes

Provide good value?  

Yes

Help you set goals for improvement? 

Yes

Would you recommend Carl Stewart to a friend who wanted lessons?

Absolutely

Please choose your overall experience rating: Excellent / Good / Fair /  Poor

Excellent

Please add any other comments:

The video helped me see what I was doing.  I think Carl helped me improve my game right away! I won a tournament shortly after my lesson.  Thanks Carl

Marlene has been gracious eough to let students with questions contact her with an e-mail.Please show respect her e-mail is mrsfrog@dryfrog.com 

 

Student Name 

Jay Sartain (Phx)

Did Carl Stewart a BCA Certified Instructor:

Know the material?

Yes

Tech you in a way you could understand?

Yes

Answer questions well?

Yes

Have printed material? 

Yes

Provide good value?  

Yes

Help you set goals for improvement? 

Yes

Would you recommend Carl Stewart to a friend who wanted lessons?

Yes

Please choose your overall experience rating: Excellent / Good / Fair /  Poor

Good

Please contact me @ 520- 834- (POOL) 7665 / azbilliardacademy@gmail.com
Let us get together and improve your pool game.
Thank you for your time,

Carl Stewart

NEW TRUSTED LINKS

He builds a relationship, not just a cue stick

Keith Nickerson Custom Cues - www.nickersoncues.com 

Links
Tucson APA
Arizona Pool Scene azpoolscene.com
Arizona Desert Classic Tour desertclassictour.com
Keith Nickerson Custom Cues www.nickersoncues.com

 

The Tucson APA league system is the biggest and best way to get started having fun and playing pool. Follow the link to start your great APA adventure NOW!!!!!! AZ Billiard Academy offers discounts to all current Tucson APA members

 

 

 

 Below is a Blog of sort, I use this space to post billiard items that I feel everyone can benefit from. Some posts show what is new and some are training related.

Look around and enjoy yourself

The latest and greatest news at ABA

Pool season is in full swing

 

· I have upgraded to the Certified BCA instructor level. Update Totally upgraded  

 

· If you are not on my “Billiards Only” e-mail list and would like to be or know someone else who would like it, just drop me an email.

 

· I have a cue on order from the cue maker Keith Nickerson. I have designed a MBA 2008 cue to celebrate my graduation in May. I will keep you posted on the progress of this cue. Check out his work www.nickersoncues.com  UPDATE  It is done

Follow the link and look under the Cue Gallery and Custom Cue tabs mine is number # 22 in both 

· I have been traveling to Phoenix a lot lately for pool tournaments and lessons. Since I lived and worked up there for 14 months the ABA has a strong player’s base in Phoenix .

· COMPLETELY private lessons now available at the ABA .

 As far as I know this feature has never been an option inside of  Tucson, AZ. If someone you know has put off the option of lessons because of people watching him or her inside a pool   hall. They do not have to wait any longer. Update - Huge response Players seem to love the PRIVACY

Just give me a call for rates (520) 834-POOL (7665)

· The Tucson APA is about to have a new addition and the ABA wants to wish them the very best. If you are not playing in an APA league in the Tucson area, you are missing out! Go to the APA website and join a team today. http://tucsonapa.com  UPDATE She now has a baby update

For example, The Arizona Billiard Academy (ABA) has a billiards only e-mail mailing list. Anyone that would like to join please just send me an e-mail azbilliardacademy@gmail.com or follow the link on this website. Billiard only related e-mails should go to a home e-mail address not work I do tend to send a lot of stuff sometimes. That is all for now but please do check back I will be writing again soon Thanks Carl 

 

Please contact me at anytime with questions @

520-834-7665 / azbilliardacademy@gmail.com

Thanks

Carl